Tuesday, July 14, 2009

So, as promised, I have shrunk our dearly beloved Pazzaria Productions home page down so that itwill be able to be viewed on most all screens, small and big.

You will notice the new placement of the theatre. Ralph suggested that that made more sense, than the otherbackground. I think so! As well, I have made the font in the menu bar from a serif to a sans serif. Sans seriffonts are easier to read at smaller sizes. It's also a web font, so it is optimized for web viewing.

The magic sparkles still happen when you rollover the menu bar, and the video is still an option to play, or not playby the user.

Monday, April 6, 2009

From the moment you enter, you are greeted by extremely friendlyemployees. You are seated right away, and the deliciousness begins.

The bread that is served in the beginning is among the absolute bestyou will find at any Italian restaurant. They bake it themselves daily.

It's not the real thick stuff that you usually get, and it's served upwarm, ever so slightly chewey, with a nice crunch.

Quite often, I do go out to eat with my other half, Ralph Lara. He wasa food critic at one time for L.A. Weekly, so he prides himself atgiving his opinion, which I am quite grateful for.

One thing he always raves about this place is the bread, and he feelsthat it is impeccable.

It is served up with a side pesto sauce this is appropriately tangy.

For drinks, we got some Limonata - a wonderful, light, sparklingItalian drink.

For a salad, we each had the Caesar. It was cold, and unusually crispfor a restaurant style. I'm a lover of great croutons - especiallywhen they stand out. These crunchy, garlic wonders areno exception!

Ralphie and I were fighting over it! He said, "I never havehad Caesar salad like this before!"

The dressing is far from overdone, and compliments perfectly.I tasted every ingredient.

Our pizza was a margherita and we added chicken.The chicken was grilled to perfection, and the crust wassensationally thin. The tomato sauce was presentlyvibrant and luscious.

We were served two olive oils w/pizza. A regular, and a spiced.The spiced was nice for a couple of slices, but then, I wantedwithout. I felt that the spicy was enough to carry though thepalette until the end. I do enjoy tasting my food withspice compliment, and not just spice alone.

We did end up asking for some of their bread to go, and itwasn't a problem.

For the quality and service you get, they are, thankfully,under priced.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

`This amazing, fine, and really fun place was an absolute delight. When I first heard about it, I was intrigued. I had little more than a menu, and a suggestion to go on.

The place is run by a very sweet Phillipino family. They were very attentive to my needs, and quite detail oriented.

To start off, I had a young coconut to drink. The lady who was my waitress informed me that such a thing was a staple in the Philippines. No doubt, they are proud to bring it here to share! The taste of the juice was certainly sweeter than older coconuts. The meat inside was delicious as well.

They are not 100% organic, because that would drive up the price, so they say. So, they do what they can with eggs, and various other produce.

Since they very recently opened, their menu was very limited, but they assured us that everything was fresh and delicious. No worries, due to the exquisite smells coming from the kitchen.

For my meal, I had the Caribbean Shrimp pizza. Upon first glance, one's eyes might roll over, thinking that it would be like every other attempt of a bad rendition of this pizza in town. But, far from!

The shrimp were unique, and the ingredients did nothing but compliment each other. The highlight of the dish was the crust. It was a Californian artisnal delight that put Wolgang Puck to shame, and gave Nancy Silverton a definite run for her money.

Every bite was a surprise in it's own right, as I still remember how it tasted.

After I was finished with that, I decided to try their dessert. As quite often (and I highly suggest), I had a cup of coffee. Trust. I was relieved to taste that it was a gourmet blend. It was well balanced, and not too strong.

For the dessert, they only had two at that time. I indulged in their Island Trio. Yes, they made gourmet out of Phillipino! A feat rarely pulled off well here in So. Cal. It is described as a cassava cake (classic Phillipino - wonderfully rich and sweet), a purple yam cake, and a sweet rice "biko". The presentation was gorgeous. Very, very French - with the lining up of the three small cakes horizontally, with the sweet sauce squirted in a straight line above and below. To top off the purple cake was a maraschino cherry. But, this was not a cherry from the typical bar stock. I think it was home made, somehow. Far better.

My only real complaint is that their tap water was really to be desired. They did a nice job of freshening it up with a mint leaf, but I couldn't get past a few sips. I did end up ordering the bottled - which was Arrowhead. I am, and will always remain an Evian fan. If we could get the whole world to switch to Evian, I would be happy.

I am on the edge of my seat to visit again, and see what other surprises their diverse menu can dish out!

Monday, March 2, 2009

I have often thought of Starbucks as the "Disney" of the coffeeworld. I mean this in every positive sense of the word.

Every time I walk into a Starbucks, I feel refreshed rejuvenated, andMAN, SMELL THAT CAFFEINE!

They take a lot of pride in how they create their brews, and itshows. Many people out there feel that they burn their coffee beans,and that all they can taste are ashes.

When you taste something like Starbucks coffee, you have to train your taste buds to get past the coffee taste. When the description says something like, "full of berry and chocolate notes", don't merely dismiss a reserve style brew as another every day coffee.

Indeed, the Starbucks preferred method of drinking coffee is frenchpress. When was the last time you had one? It truly does bring outthe most flavor in the brew.

When you are browsing around at the different blends, and you see that they are from different regions of the world, they are segregated for a reason. If you want something more balanced, as opposed to more sharp, than you had better look toward the Americas. If you want something more deep and earthy, then set your taste for farther east. And, if you wish deep sophistication, look no further than a French Roast.

As much as they think about their coffee is just as much as how theythink about their design - in every respect. Did you ever think abouthow amazing it is that each location looks very different from everyother location? Some have more reds. Others more greens. Othersmore browns. Some are more chic, while others are more colloquialin feel. Their ultimate goal is to create a sense of communitythrough their locations. It's an office, a meeting place, a finedining establishment, and a personal comfort zone all in one! And,indeed, it operates successfully on all of those levels.

In addition to all of this, every three months, or so, they come outwith a new line of drinks, and transform their space. Currently, theyhave further come to recognize their global stance in the marketplace, and create a spin on their teas. The best out of the bunch, in my opinion, is the London Fog (with soy!). From Europe to Japan, and points in between, through color, taste, texture, and smell, they have created another unique and transformative experience.

Just as their coffees and teas are quality, so is their merchandise.From special edition french presses to seasonal mugs, to very smartthings like french press specific timers (for an optimum brew, it'sfour minutes), they always seem to have every tool for the job. It'sall quality, and it's all well worth it.If you go a lot, I can't recommend the Starbucks Gold Card quiteenough. You will get ten percent off of your order every time youpresent your card, and you get special announcements and coupons in the mail - ahead of everyone else.

As much as the above would have been enough, they don't stop there!They have finally licked their problem with their wireless internetconnections that were going to waste, due to the high connect fees. Iam finally glad that they realize that if you keep your guest insidethe store long enough, they may just order another drink, or two!Currently, one is able to connect to the internet for two hours a day,on the house.

Along with Apple Inc., they give away music on a daily basis, and have their music that they play in the stores available through iTunes.

In terms of what may seem like a goal of every ten feet, I don't mindthem saturating the market as they do. They are clearly leaders intheir field, and others should follow. If more followed their veryunique formula for success, then, well, humanity would be propelledfarther.

So, go! Reflect upon what I have said here next time you are at yourlocal Starbucks sipping your favorite brew!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Break out your snobbery! Let's feel snooty! Yours truly' Beverly Hills upbringing can only lead to one thing, and one thing only to blog about.... At least, as I am inspired to do so the date of this blog post...

I am going to be a FOOD CRITIC!

That's right!

Only the absolute toughest standards will pass by this black page!

We are on the search for complex wines, dark rich chocolates, and of course the perfect creme brulee'!

Luscious reviews. Fun commentary. All in the hopeful discovery of perfection (which we may, or may not find).

Hold on to your crystal, because this is going to be one heckava meal!

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About Daniel Louis Rappaport

LUSCIOUS! - DIVINE! - COMPLEX! - CAN’T WAIT TO READ MORE...!!
I have been lucky enough to have grown up in Beverly Hills, California - one of the food capitals of the world. If it’s new, interesting, complex, and cutting edge, believe me, it has passed these discerning taste buds!
From “run of the mill” fast food to the most exclusive, one of a kind pizza creations by the artisanal bread queen - Nancy Silverton, it will be reviewed here!
So, relax, pull out the caviar and Korbel, and hopefully be inspired.
Thank you for visiting! I am honored that you came by!